Changing the MAF Sensor on an Aston Martin V8 Vantage

I just want to say that this is a 5 or 10 minute job on any other car I've ever worked on. On a V8 Vantage? An hour or so, if you even have the right tools.

DISCLAIMER: As always, follow all safety protocols. Don't undertake this task if you aren't comfortable with it and fully understand it. You are ultimately responsible for anything you do. Neither Redpants, LLC or myself is responsible or liable for anything that may occur.

Quick note on security Torx bits: You can buy a set of these for pretty cheap ($5-10) and are worth the investment if you don't have a set already. Normal Torx bits are also good to have on hand and are very, very useful for us because Aston Martin uses them all over the car.

Step 1Break the lug nuts loose on the front left wheel (driver's side on US cars) using the 22mm socket. Don't take them off, just break them loose so you can remove them once the car is in the air. Breaking lug nuts loose will be extremely difficult once the car is in the air as the wheel will just spin as you apply pressure to the lug nuts.

Step 2Get the car on jackstands. Ensure the car is properly supported before continuing. If it's good and stable, put wheel chocks behind the rear wheels to keep the car in place (a section of 2x4 wood can work if you don't have wheel chocks). Then remove the front left wheel - this will give you space to work.

Step 3aUse the Philips screwdriver, and T30 Torx bit to remove the front undertray. Then unfasten the wheel liner so it can be moved out of the way, at least on the front end (closest to the front of the car) or remove the wheel liner entirely.

Step 3b (If you removed the wheel liner entirely, you can skip this step)I only loosened the front rather than remove it entirely and used the access panel to stick my arm through for the rest of the steps. There is an access panel directly behind the headlight in the wheel liner. Remove the access panel. There are two screw points on the headlight housing that allow you to adjust the headlight beam angle. But that's another job. We're removing the panel so we can put our arm through it.

Headlight adjustment screws on the V8 Vantage.

When you pull the liner back, you can see the MAF sensor sitting there looking all fabulous with its colorful wires:

V8 Vantage airbox, flap solenoids, and MAF sensor harness plug.

NOTE: The airbox solenoid in the pic above may not be on your car. These solenoids (one on each airbox) control flaps that open up to allow more airflow. These are the airboxes found on the N400, V8VS, V8VGT, and V8 Vantages that have the Aston Martin Power Pack (which is what I have).

Step 4This is where it gets tricky. The release for the MAF sensor plug faces toward the front of the car, which is horrible in every way. In addition, there's a sliding clip on the plug that prevents it from being released by accident... or on purpose. This is what it looks like:

MAF sensor harness plug and its security clip.

You can go about this two ways. You can either unbolt the MAF sensor then unplug it, or you can unplug it then unbolt it. Unplugging it can be a pain. If you've got nimble fingers and a small, flat-head screwdriver, give this a shot. Once unplugged, it will be easier to get to the bolt further from you. Since I couldn't see the plug's evil trickery afoot and didn't realize how devious it was, I gave up trying to disconnect it and instead unbolted the MAF sensor then unplugged it.

To unplug the MAF sensor, the red tab needs to slide up (toward the wires). If you have nimble fingers, use a small flat-headed screw driver to slide the tab. You can try your fingers or fingernails but have your swear jar ready. Once the red tab is slid away (it will not come out) you can squeeze the connector to release it, just like most automotive connectors.

Unbolting the MAF sensor is easier said than done. You're working in a tight space and trying to get a tiny torx bit into a tiny torx bolt. To unbolt the MAF sensor, you need a T10 security torx bit. It looks just like a normal torx bit, but it has a hole drilled into it. You need this, because for no other reason than to make your life absolutely miserable, Aston Martin decided to use these little turds to bolt in the MAF:

Security torx bolts are... horrible.

I found out about the security torx bolts after getting the car torn open and fighting (and failing) to unplug the MAF sensor. And then I had to go across town and buy a set of security torx bits. All the while, my swear jar kept filling up.

Step 5With the MAF sensor unbolted and unplugged, you can remove it. There are some very fragile components inside the sensor. In the pic below, you can see my old one (on the left with brown and dirty bits inside) and new one (on the right with shiny bits).

Old vs new Aston Martin V8 Vantage MAF sensors.

Very carefully put the new MAF sensor in place. Remember that the plug connector clip faces away from you when installed. That's the easiest way to determine which way the MAF sensor should be oriented. Bolt the MAF sensor into place, then plug in the connector.

Step 6Reverse what you did in steps 3, then 2, and then 1 to put everything back together. Make sure you properly torque your lug nuts. Then turn the car on and hope nothing went terribly wrong.